不可不學的英國俚語

⊙ By Sophie Cannon

不可不學的英國俚語

⊙ By Sophie Cannon

UK Slang for Outsiders

要學好英語就一定要學一些俚語，這是大家都知道的。盡管有一些通用的英語俚語，但每個英語國家又有自己的一套俚語，英語國家的“老祖宗”英國當然不例外啦。可以毫不夸張地說，英國俚語如茫茫大海，我們先從“一粟”開始吧。

“Hiya mate, fancy a cuppa and a chinwag?” “I can’t sorry pal, I’m skint. Gutted!”

When you first arrive in the UK, you might be confused by some of the words and phrases local people use. Don’t worry, this is completely normal and you will soon be fine!

Greetings, Please and Thank You

問候、請求與致謝

Alright?= Hello. How are you?

HiyaorHey up= Both mean “Hello”and are especially popular in the north of England.

What about ye?

=This is popular in Northern Ireland and is another way of saying “How are you?”

Howay= “Let’s go” or “Come on.” This is popular in the northeast of England.

Ta= Thank you

Cheers= This is usually said as a toast when you raise your glasses to celebrate, but it also means“Thank you.”

See you= Goodbye and see you soon

People, Friends and Family

人、朋友與家庭

Don’t be confused if someone calls youpet,duck,sweetie,love,chuck-eggorsunshine. Older people in the UK often use these terms when they are addressing young people as a sign of affection and friendliness.

Bairn= “Baby” or “young child.”This word is especially popular in Scotland and the northeast of England.

Lad= Boy

LassorLassie= Girl

BlokeorChap= Man

MateorPal= Friend

Me old muckerorChum= Both mean “Friend.” They are more oldfashioned now, but you may still hear people use them in a light-hearted way.

Mum,Mummy,MaorMam= Mother

DadorDaddy= Father

Our kid= This means “my brother”or “my sister.” It is especially popular in the northwest and midlands of England.

Gran,NanorGranny= Grandmother

GrandpaorGrandad= Grandfather

Descriptions and Exclamations

描述與驚嘆

There are lots of slang anddialect[方言]words to say something is good or cool. In Wales you might hear people saytidyorlush, while in Birmingham you might hearbostin. In the north of England you might hearaceandmint, and in Northern Ireland you might heardead onorgrand.

Wickedandsickformally meanevil[邪惡的]ordistasteful[討厭的], but in slang terms they can mean cool too. These words are particularly popular in London and the south of England.

If something is uncool, people may say it isnafforcheesy. If it is bad orsuspicious[可疑的], then it isdodgy.

If someone is happy, they might say “I’m made up!” or “I’m well chuffed!”When disappointed, though, they might say “I’m gutted.”If someone is beingmardy, this means they are actingmoody[不高興的]orgrumpy[脾氣壞的].

“It’s doing my head in!” means “it is annoying me,” and “It’s all kicking off!” means an argument is happening.

The wordsolidusually refers to an object, but in slang, it can mean that something or someone is strong or difficult. For example,“She has just run the London marathon. She’s solid!” or “That economics exam was solid!”

Words for Emphasis 強調

In the UK, you may hear people usewell,deadormegainstead of “very” or“really.” For example, “It was dead good” or“That exam was well difficult!” Meanwhilea tadmeans “a little bit.” For example, “That is a tad expensive.”

Socialising and Parties 社交

Do,BashorGet-together= Party

BYOB= Bring your own bottle. In the UK, it is common for the party host to ask guests to bring their own drinks.

Mosh-pit= At a rock concert, this is the area at the front of the stage where the most enthusiastic dancers gather to jump around.

Dance-off= That magical moment when people on the dance floor compete to see who is the best dancer!

It’s your round!= In a UK café or pub, it is common for small groups of friends to take it in turns to buy a round of drinks for everyone at the table.

Fancy =To find someone attractive, e.g. “He just smiled. I think he fancies you! ”

Chin-wag= To talk or gossip with friends, e.g. “Fancy[想做]a chinwag?”

Work and Play 工作與娛樂

Swot up= To study for an exam

Knuckle down= To concentrate and work hard

Muck aroundormess about= To spend time doing nothing or being silly, e.g. “Stop mucking around, you have work to do!”

Muck in= To lend a hand and help someone with a task, e.g.“Thanks so much for mucking in. You really helped me clean up.”

Mooch= To idle away time in a pleasurable way, e.g. “I’ve been mooching around the shops today.”

Hit the hay= To go to bed

Kip= Sleep or nap, e.g. “I’m just going for a kip after my lecture so I feel fresh for the party.”Sleep like a log= Sleepsoundly[熟睡地], e.g. “After handing in my coursework, I slept like a log last night!”

Food and Drink 飲食

ButtyorButtie= Sandwich

Barm cake,Cob,BaporBatch= Bread roll

CuppaorBrew= Cup of tea

Fry-uporFull English= Full English breakfast

Brekkie= Breakfast

Tea= This usually means a cup of tea, but in some parts of the UK it also means the evening meal. How confusing.

Greasy spoon= A caféserving[提供]unhealthy food

Gastropub= A pub which also specialises in food

Chippy= Fish and chip shop

Spuds= Potatoes

Money 金錢

Quid=Pound sterling[英鎊]. If something costs ￡1 you may be asked for a quid; the word doesn’t change in the plural, so ￡50 is fifty quid.

Skint= Poor or lacking money, e.g. “I can’t come to the restaurant as I’m skint this week.”

Minted= Rich, e.g. “It was my birthday last week and I got some money off my family, so I am minted now!”

Splashing out= Spending a lot of money

That’s as cheap as chips= That is very cheap

That costs a bomb= That is too expensive

That’s a rip-off= That is not worth the price

Cough up!= Pay your share of the bill!

Objects 物品

Brolly= Umbrella

Telly= Television. Some people also s a yW h a t’s o n the box?to mean“What’s on TV?”

Loo= Toilet

Wellies= Short for Wellington boots, a type ofrubber[橡膠的]boot.

Mobile= Mobile telephone. It is unusual to say cellphone in the UK.